Clothesline prop



Feb. 15, 1949. F E, KUFFA l 2,461,607

CLOTHESLINE PROP Fild Jan. 10, '1945 Patented Feb. 15, 1949 Y K CLo'rnEsLINE j pitor d Fred' E.- Kuff, Baltimore, Md.; William Foreman and H. LevinMoi-vitz, executors of said Fred E. Kuff, deceased, assignors to The Southern Galvanizing poration of Maryland YApplication January l10, 1945, Serial No. 572,231

6 claims. (C1. `A2te- 4353) This invention relates to supports and more particularly to props for supporting clotheslines or lother horizontally strung ropes, Wires, or the like.

The general object of the invention is the provision of a novel and improved prop of the class described, which is easy and economical to manufacture, which is of durable construction, and which is easy to apply and remove from the line although not likely to .be accidentally detached from the line when in use.

VAnother object of the invention is to provide a novel prop of this type which embodies ra resilient connection at one end thereof which may be snapped into supporting contact with the line, and also removed from the line with a similar snap action.

A further object is the provision of a prop having a novel clip member of unitary construction applied to the end thereof in a novel manner, and not only possessing the resilient features mentioned, but alsoproviding protection for thel line against fraying by contact with the endof the prop itself.

In its preferred embodiments, the invention contemplates the provision of a light pole either,

of hollow tubular construction throughout its length, `as for example, a length of pipe, or of solid construction but with a tubular recess at one of its ends. The attachment clip comprises a strip of spring meta-l bent to the approximate shape of aV letter R, intermediate bends forming the two legs and the ends of the strip being curved toward each other near the top corner. The two legs of the clip are cramped together and inserted in stressed condition in the open end of the prop and this causes the upwardly extending ends of the clip to part slightly providing an opening just a little smallerfthan the diameter of the line to be supported. The portions of the strips adjacent this opening are preferablyv curved, to form a smooth passageway flared in .both directions, whereby theline may spring into and out ofthe clipwhen positive pressure is applied.

The expansive force of the legs of the clip when it is applied to the prop is suicient to vprovide a temporary connection, but provision' is made by this present invention to permanently unite the clip and the pole, and also to provide a protective' coating for these parts.

i. Other objects and features of noveltywill b e apparent from the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying draw- Company, Baltimore, Md., a corings in which certain embodiments of theinvention are illustrated by Way of example.`

In the drawings: :Figure lis a perspective view of a prop embodying theprinciples of the invention;

r Figure 2 is a viewin side elevation of aclip to be applied to the line; l Figure 3 is a View, mainly in vertical section showing the clip inserted into the hollow end of the supporting pole iand sealed in by metallic zinc through the hot-dip galvanizing process.

Figure 4 is a view in horizontal section; taken on d-i'i of Figure 3; ivFigure 5 is a View in side elevation of another form of clip which may be employed in pursuing the invention; and

Figure 6 is a View in end elevation fied clip.

In Figure 1, the novel prop or support is indicated generally by the reference numeral I0, and comprises the pipe or hollow pole I I, having a clip I2 secured to its upper end and in engagement with. the line I3. The prop may be:

of this modii set in the ground if a support of a permanent na# ture is desired, but more frequently the prop will be employed in the customary way by merely:

setting the lower end on the surface of the ground and bracing it against the line which is held. taut by the attachment. of its ends to suitableV relatively'rigid supports. Y The clip I 2 is preferably formed of larbent strip of resilient material such as steel. The *i intermediate portion of the strip is formedinto the two vdouble ply legs I5 and the cross bar I6, While'one end portion of the strip'is curved as at I'l to the shape of a fish-hook oran interrogation point. The other end portion I8 of the strip is substantially vertical but has an outwardly ared end I9. In the unsprung condition of the clip, the arm I8 is tangent to the curved end'20 of the' portion Il. Also the leg portions I5 are preferably bent to an arcuate cross-sectionY to'fit the curvature of the walls of the pipe II. This is clearly indicated in Figure 4.

In applying the clip I2 to the end of the pipe II'-, the legs I5 are cramped together and inserted into the pipe end, thus springing the arms yIl and I8 apart. The dimensions of the clip, especially the length of the cross'bar I6 and the natural divergence of the legs I5, are so proportioned with respect to the internal diameter of the pipe I Ithat, when the clip is inserted, the arms I'l and I8 separate'to provide a space 25 between the arm, I8 and the curved portion 2D of the arm I1, which prop or pole for supporting a' 3 is slightly narrower than the diameter of the line I3. Thus when the prop is either applied or removed from the line, the arms must be sprung apart slightly by the line as it passes into or out of the smoothly constricted throat at 25, formed by the generally-convexsurfaceseof fthetpcntions I8, I9' arfds. "Ihisislearly irfdieated'by lthe dotted line showings of the line I3 in Figure 3.

After the line I3 is snapped into the clip as shown in solid lines in Figure 3, it rests upon the flat surface of the bridge or cross-bar Ifvl'liih prevents it from rubbing on ftheerelativelyssharp edges 26 of the pipe II. Ordinaryimovementsxf the line and the prop such :as 'lthosemused `thy the wind, would not be suicientrtofreieafsetthe connection afforded by the clip, and moreover, the chances are that, in the caseof any zinaclvertent dislocation of the prop, the line I3 woul'dbe retained within the bight formed by the=bu1=vd arm I1, 20. However, when it is desired to diseonnectttlrepropzfromttheeline;itlisan-easy'xnatter to guide the line i3 intortheiopeningfandiforce it through.

:Althoughithe clip il 2fcan-zbe :forcedxlntoathe rend of the pipe .I-'I :tightlyten'ough :for: some uses dt :is preferred'that itoef-Xe'd more secuneiy atherein. Since the prop iis edesigned ttor use 'in ftheiiopen, and is subject to exposure to all kinds of weather conditions, it fis also preferred rthat @the prop l:be hotidipped galvanized `'According 'to th'e ipresent mvention both :of l.these :purposes `:are `served by ailixing `:the aclip ft2 before Dthe prop is dipped `-in the galvanizing bath. Thus fthe motten moatng not only protects the clip but seffectivelysecures ititothe inner ff-wallrofthe .plpeas indicatediat in Figures .-3 zand It may also be remarked thattheiilpipevsection I'I ixforming the :major portion :of the prop, n'nay be rolled with butt-edged wall as indicatedfatiz, withno welding. .Thus buttftjointiszal'soffeffectively rsealed by :the fgalvanizing.

'-InFg-uresz eind', an alternative-'embodiment ofrthelip isshown. .Thisclip ddr2 'iras-itwo-.ply legs #t5 and fa .cr'oss-.bar mi -simiiar tto fthe tcli'p I2, ibutethe farms I'i 'I fand :I t8 zare of ia fdiierent configuration. Thefarm ftll -is :provided withaan arcuate portion I2il1terminating in' anmutwardiy flared .tend 11,21. arm 41H3 fis curved ibenieath tlreaporltions itil @and IzI :as aat I9. :Aitapier-ing throat 2h25:isprovided'betweenthe overlapping arm portions through whiohthexline ii'm'ayihe snapped as in athe 'case :of lthe embodiment irst described.

:Itiszunderstoodthat:izariouscchangesandmrddn catonfsnnay be'mad'e .in the embodiments nllirstrat'ed and described herein @without departing irornfthe :scopeioi ithei invention as-fdeneilfbythe following claims,

f1. *Api-opforzclotheslinesxor .the likesccmprising ia ipole, :consisting -rof :'a :length of pipe, having'a irezcesszat one and thereoffa :resilient :clip having .two spaced resilient legs, saidsliprinoluding .fmeans connecting :sa-id legs `fat their :ends

where they join the -fclip ,:`and said :legs havin'g their iree kends e'extending from :the clip`towards saidmolegstrained itowardeach other and wierlg nrgly inserted -and fretained iin ethe Lopen rend of 'saidfpipe 4:and a :snap -hook ron-.Isaid `:clip for 1releasableiconnection -withfa line.

2. :A Iprop :forA clotheslines or the.like\cemprising sa Lp'ole .having a irecessfatoire end thereof, 2a linac engaging clip :by the -npper end tof the spele, seid clipecomprising la. :resilient :element having spaced approximately parallel side members connected intermediate their lengths by a relatively stiff cross member, the upper parts of said side members forming a pair of resilient jaws for snapping into and out of engagement with the line, Vand .the'dower iparts of said side imeinbers being sprungttogether ,to'fbe `seedgingly retained within said recess in the end of the pole.

23. A prop for clotheslines or the like comprising .apole having a recess at one end thereof, *'a'one-"piece line engaging clipcarried by the uptendfo'f ithemclesssaid clip comprising a at r:stripofresilientmaterial bent intermediate its ilengthtoformei pair of two-ply legs and a flat qssubstantialiy @horizontal cross-bar connecting themfthefends'd'said strip being extended uptwardlytto ,provide.a ..pair of resilient jaws adapted to 'receive theline between them, saidipair ofilegs-ibing sprung together and wedgingly received and retained within the recess in the end of:.'.tlre;cpole.

se. ,.'Arprop :for rclotheslines for `the dike:cc'nnprising `apole 'havingia recess at ione rend rtherebf, '-a a line engaging clip carried by the upper end of zthe zpol-e,ssaidf.clip .comprising fairesilient Telement `having :spaced :approximately :I parallel :side members "connected intermediate wtheir .lengths Vbya relative-stiff tcrosslfmenber, ithe upper :,parts Yoi '-.saidzsidemembersformingfa pair-.of resilient jaws :forssnappirg dri-to tand out fof `en'ga'gement with the line, and theflower.lparts-.offsaidlside members being..sprung itegether tto be wedgingly retained within .said recess in -.the .end of sthe pole, `the wid-th lof .sai'd l recess .being `suiliciently 'narrower thanthe .upsprung `width `of dsheIower .part -of the clip, so .that 'when lthe1ower,-part iis forced into the recess, the uppern'aw epor-tions aremouedapartadistance.slightlytnarrowenthan theiiameter o'f .thellne tion 'and thelegmortions .df lthe clip aref Loomplementaryarcutne cross-section.

r`6. an "article df"manufature, a `lip for clothesline ,propspr thelike which comprises@l resilient .strip 6i `shet "metal bent intermediate itslength .'to form s p'ir f spacedapa'rt,"two ply, legs ronnecteii "by 'a transverse horizontal barftlre fend portions yof .thefstrip exterfdingupwardlyfone curvedt'o form a-noklandtire other extending fclose ito the *extremity 'of ,the rhok .to proviueminarfow passagewayibetween '"tne portionstcrtheiforcedentryfitheiline.

'llhe '.'fdllovsiing -references -are-:d .record in gthe le .o'f this Ipatent:

RUMTZED FAXIIENTS 

